Fireworks from the firer’s viewpoint

This is a low noise wedding fireworks display with a difference. The action is filmed not from a tripod looking at the fireworks from the audience’s perspective but from miniature cameras mounted on the two firers’ helmets!

Usually in my experience of filming displays in this manner I find that hand fired displays always produce the best video. You get to see the fireworks at very close quarters along with much smoke and sparks. So for this electrically fired display I was a little unsure beforehand just how good the video would be. After all, an electrical show could appear to be someone simply pressing buttons. Add to this the low noise element meaning no loud noises and no big breaking effects.

In fact the end result, at least for me, is just as interesting. Not only is an electrical firer as busy as one hand lighting, you can see a quite amazing viewpoint in this footage. The firing unit is shown very clearly, as is the firing list as the firer moves quickly between both to ensure the right fireworks are fired at the right time. This particular low noise display is also one of the best I have seen lately, with multiple effects creating a lot more visual interest than you’d expect from a display of this type.

For added excitement this display featured some lancework. This was a champagne bottle and glass with one of the firers picking up the bottle and pretending to pour it into the glass. So I made sure his helmet had a camera on too! The resulting footage when the camera switches at around 4min 56s is probably the closest view of lancework you’ll ever get

To give you a better sense of scale here is a photo I took from behind the firer featured here. The firer is the one kneeling down at the firing unit (Colin) and the other firer is the one who ran over to light the lancework (Dean):

Further information

You can read more about the miniature cameras used to film this display in this article.

With thanks to Dynamic Fireworks for letting me go behind the scenes at one of their excellent wedding shows and the firers Colin and Dean for letting me attach things to their heads!